Conference Scholarship Program
In recognition of the importance of promoting professional development opportunities for members, the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators established the CAMA Conference Scholarship Program.
Through the Scholarship Program, CAMA provides eight scholarships for the registration fee (in the amount of $750.00) for the Annual Conference (two to young professionals pursuing a career in local government; two to members working in municipalities located north of the 60th parallel; two to members from smaller municipalities, and two to new Chief Administrative Officers. Individuals are only eligible to receive a scholarship once to provide an opportunity to others to access this scholarship. The scholarship is not transferable and must be used in the same year that it was awarded.
ELIGIBILITY
Scholarship applicants must be a CAMA member (or working with a CAMA member under the Young Professionals category). Please see the details below where two scholarships are awarded for each category:
Young Professionals
The CAMA Scholarship Program is designed to engage the young Canadians who are pursuing a career in municipal government and thereby encouraging these young people to be champions in their communities in subsequent years. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must:
- Be working with a CAMA member in their municipality.
- Be under the age of forty.
- Have written confirmation from the Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality they are working for that municipality, and that permission is granted to attend the CAMA Conference if the applicant is successful.
Smaller Municipalities
The CAMA Scholarship Program is designed to assist CAMA members of smaller municipalities who have limited training funds. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must:
- Be an active member in good standing of CAMA.
- Work for a municipality with a population under 20,000.
North of the 60th Parallel
The CAMA Scholarship Program is designed to assist CAMA members working in remote northern Canadian communities who have limited training funds and have higher travel costs to attend the Conference. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must:
- Be a member in good standing of CAMA.
- Work for a municipality in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut.
New Chief Administrative Officers
- Be a member in good standing of CAMA.
- Be working as a Chief Administrative Officer for less than five years.
APPLICATIONS
The application process has closed for the 2025 CAMA Conference and will open again in August 2025 for the 2026 event.
As part of the application process, each applicant must write a statement in 200 words or less briefly answering the following questions:
- Summarizing what attending the CAMA Conference would mean to his or her professional development.
- Why they feel the scholarship should be granted.
- How they intend to share the information that they learned at the Conference with others.
JUDGING PROCEDURE
All applications will be reviewed by a Committee comprised of CAMA Board members and staff. The successful candidates will be selected based upon the individual application and information submitted, taking into consideration the fact that attendance at the Conference may not occur without scholarship.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTANCE
Successful recipients will be notified by e-mail. If a scholarship is awarded, applicants must respond and confirm their acceptance by the deadline date as set by CAMA in the e-mail notice. If the applicant does not respond to CAMA`s scholarship offer by the date outlined in the e-mail offer, the scholarship shall be rescinded without appeal. Scholarships are non-transferable and have no redeemable cash value.
Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to resubmit the following year if they meet the criteria.
All recipients of this Scholarship Program are responsible for their own hotel and travel arrangements and any other related costs to and from the CAMA Conference. The hotel must be booked directly by the scholarship recipient under the Conference room block.
